Technically It Ain't A Party...

...unless Keebler's there, but we're going to do our very best.  We are not bringing any sheep to the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival this weekend :-(.  Well, any big sheep.  Little Baaxter is too small to leave at home, so he'll be tucked into the back of the booth.

Hershey was especially excited about going his first big party.  As soon as he found out he was getting his (first) Mug Shot, he was all in! 

Ewen had been recruited this year as he's the best hugger and would have been perfect for the Hugging Booth.

"I'm a kisser, not a hugger!"

"I'm going to a party? Is there gonna be lots of babas?"

As we were starting to shampoo the festival sheep the other day I noticed a fever blister type sore starting in the corner of one of their mouths.  Uh oh.  I checked the rest and a couple others did too.  Oh no!  Sore mouth in sheep is not that uncommon.  It's one of those things that you'll eventually run into if you keep sheep long enough, especially if you bring in outside sheep.  Still, I was horrified.

While it could be something that's just been lying dormant in the ground here until it warmed up, if I had to guess, it probably came in with Burrnie.  That's a risk you take when you rescue sheep, especially from deplorable conditions.  Burrnie had been stringently examined, tested and quarantined, but may have been carrying the virus with him sight unseen.  

I beat myself up for a good bit about bringing in questionable sheep, compromising the health of our flock (and ourselves, although it's more irritating than dangerous), but then Tim pointed out that if I had to do it all over again I would.  Sheep like Renny and Burrnie deserve better than what they'd been given and are important members of our family now.  We'll continue to be as careful as possible, but if someone needs a safe home, we'll all deal with the risks.

You can't really treat sore mouth.  It just has to run it's course, much like chicken pox with kids.  What you don't want to do in the meantime is let them have any exposure to other sheep and you definitely don't want to stick your fingers in their mouth, say feeding them cookies.  No festival party this year :-(.

Not to worry, there will still be sheep to hug at the festival.  Eleanor is bringing two of the Pancake Sheep!  Yes, her sheep eat pancakes.  Actually, the pancakes come from the Bluegrass Classic Stockdog Trial going on down the hill.  The Boy Scouts cook breakfast every morning and it's open to everyone, so file that handy/yummy tidbit away and go get yourself some pancakes and watch some awesome dogs run before you come up to the fiber area.

Head's up!  There is apparently a ton of road construction in front of Masterson Station Park right now.  And they took out all the big trees by the road (!) so you can't even recognize the place anymore.  So, allow for some extra time getting in and out this weekend...and go hug your favorite tree.